Comprehensive Guide to the Arizona Technology Access Program (AZTAP) and Assistive Technology Services
Overview and Administrative Structure of AZTAP
Organization Identity: The Arizona Technology Access Program (AZTAP) is a community-based program under Northern Arizona University (NAU) and the Institute for Human Development.
Funding Sources: AZTAP is funded through grant money, public funding, and private contributions.
Location and History: Based in Phoenix, Arizona, the program was established in 1994.
Governing Legislation: Operates under the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (often referred to as Arizona's Tech Act).
National Scope: AZTAP is one of state and territorial assistive technology programs operating across the United States and U.S. territories.
Key Personnel & Staff Roles:
Clayton: Primary program coordinator and supervisor for student fieldwork placements.
Carla: Presenter and staff member who is completely blind.
Mike: Presenter and core staff member.
Lauren: Staff specialist overseeing adaptive gaming technology.
Definition, Selection, and Scope of Assistive Technology
Definition of Assistive Technology (AT): Any item, piece of equipment, or product system—whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized—that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
Spectrum of Low-Tech to High-Tech Items:
AT ranges from basic, low-tech items (e.g., paper clips, tape, or an old fan blade used to pull down a van's trunk door) to complex high-tech equipment.
Any customized item assembled to ease task completion, work participation, or daily living qualifies as assistive technology.
Clinical Selection Principles:
Functionality: Devices must serve a direct, practical function for the individual.
Individualization: Selection must be uniquely tailored to the client's explicit physical, sensory, and cognitive feature needs.
Intervention Hierarchy: Practitioners should always start evaluation and implementation with low-tech options before advancing to high-tech interventions. High-tech products are rarely introduced as an initial solution.
Usability: Simple low-tech solutions are typically the easiest to teach, learn, maintain, and integrate into daily routines.
AZTAP Lending Library and Direct Equipment Services
Free Public Equipment Library:
Maintains an inventory exceeding pieces of assistive equipment.
Equipment is systematically organized, categorized, and labeled in physical bin systems.
Inventory Categories: Low vision aids, blindness tools, hard-of-hearing devices, deaf communication equipment, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, adaptive computers, activities of daily living (ADL) aids, recreation/sports/leisure items, mobility walkers, full slings, and power wheelchairs of various sizes and configurations.
Community Distribution: AZTAP places surplus items—such as Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) magnifier readers—directly into large residential communities with shared libraries (e.g., Friendship Village).
Loan Policies and Procedures:
Loan Duration: Standard public device loans last up to \,weeks. Non-high-demand items can be extended for to \,months upon request.
Cost: Loans are completely free of charge to the public.
Direct Home Delivery: Equipment can be shipped directly to a patient's residence (e.g., delivering portable ramps to clients discharging home to Buckeye, Arizona, who have step entry threshold barriers).
Clinical Trialing: Therapists can arrange equipment shipments (e.g., specialized magnifiers or mobility aids) directly to a client's home to conduct direct training and assess utility in daily routines.
Demonstration and Consultation Facility:
Located at the downtown Phoenix facility, featuring a specialized adaptive equipment trial room surrounded by physical devices.
Therapists can schedule approximately -hour reservation sessions with clients at the facility.
AZTAP staff pull multiple comparable devices simultaneously so clients can conduct side-by-side functional trials before making a selection.
Staff provide full operational training to both the practitioner and the client during scheduled appointments.
Primary Loan Objectives:
To assist in making an informed purchase decision through hands-on trialing.
To provide short-term temporary accommodations (e.g., providing a temporary bedside commode for a client under short-term hip precautions to avoid out-of-pocket costs for a unit).
To serve as a temporary loaner while primary equipment is being repaired or funded.
To offer direct device training for therapists, educators, and clients.
Assistive Technology for Educational Settings
Statewide School Personnel Services: Offered in direct partnership with the Arizona Department of Education for use with students under Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
Shipping Guidelines and Legal Requirements:
Equipment is shipped statewide at no cost to the school or family, complete with pre-paid return postage.
Visual Impairment / Blindness Equipment Rule: It is legally prohibited to charge shipping fees on equipment designated for blind or visually impaired individuals, as shipping charges constitute an unlawful barrier to postal access for this population.
Educational Loan Durations & Rental Options:
Standard equipment loan periods for school-based evaluations run for \,weeks.
If long-term funding or grant approval is pending after the loan period, schools can rent the equipment for a small fee to prevent service interruptions.
AT Exchange Program and Refurbished Technology
Online AT Exchange Marketplace:
Functions as a peer-to-peer online marketplace (similar to Facebook Marketplace or OfferUp) dedicated exclusively to adaptive equipment.
Allows individuals to buy, sell, donate, or rehome gently used equipment that is no longer needed due to condition progression, remission, or the death of a family member.
Free to post classified listings; maintains approximately active advertisements at any given time.
Commercial vendors and third-party corporate sellers are strictly banned from listing on the exchange.
Exchange Item Examples and Pricing Comparisons:
3D Printed Shoehorn (White): Listed for free.
Bariatric PVC Roll-Around Shower Chair: Holds up to ; commercial retail cost is approximately \\$410, listed on the exchange for \\$200
Desktop CCTV Magnifier Readers (e.g., DaVinci, Merlin Pro): Commercial retail pricing ranges from \\$2,200 to over \\$20,000\–\\$29,000 new; listed on the exchange for negotiated discounts (e.g., \\$2,200 or best offer).
Clinical Safety Caution on 3D Printed AT:
Therapists must exercise extreme caution regarding 3D-printed load-bearing equipment (such as shower chairs or mobility devices). Practitioners are healthcare providers, not structural engineers, and incur direct legal liability if custom 3D-printed plastic components break under load.
Refurbished Computer Program (RefurbIT):
Offers refurbished laptops, computer monitors (e.g., \\$19.34), and adaptive technology accessories at significant discounts.
Open Access: Available to the general public; purchasers are not required to have a documented disability.
Quality Assurance: Donated computers are wiped clean, inspected, repaired, and re-tested.
Warranty: Every refurbished computer includes a -month (-year) functional money-back guarantee.
Financial Assistance and Low-Interest Loan Programs
Funding Facilitation:
AZTAP assists clients in identifying grant funding, philanthropic foundations, and alternative resources when insurance denies coverage for necessary equipment (e.g., tub transfer benches, specialized ramps, or custom wheelchairs).
Rehab Commercial Markup: Standard consumer products labeled specifically as "rehabilitation" items frequently double in retail cost.
Financial Loan Program Details:
Administered in partnership with Marisol Federal Credit Union.
Interest Rate: Fixed at , which is significantly lower than standard commercial credit rates.
Loan Amounts: Minimum loan amount of \\$100 up to a maximum exceeding \\$20,000
Financial Loan Eligibility Requirements:
Must be a documented citizen of the United States.
Must be a full-time resident residing in the state of Arizona.
Non-U.S. Citizen Exception: Individuals living in Arizona who are not U.S. citizens are fully permitted to borrow equipment from the free AZTAP lending library, but federal regulations restrict them from signing financial loan contracts.
Out-of-State Resources: Individuals residing outside of Arizona can access equivalent state Tech Act programs across the United States by dialing 211.
Fieldwork and Professional Practice Integration
Professional Responsibility: Occupational therapy practitioners are responsible for educating clients, families, and multidisciplinary teams about AZTAP resources, as public awareness of the program remains low.
Practitioner Consultation & Training: Therapists can schedule -to--hour educational appointments directly with AZTAP staff specialists (e.g., scheduling time with Lauren to review adaptive gaming setups) to enhance clinical knowledge.
Fieldwork Rotations: AZTAP serves as an official clinical placement site for Level 1 Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) fieldwork students under the supervision of Clayton.